Blood Wings
by BlueRavenKnight
Summary: Set in the second game this story takes the view of a Mordecai, who was put through eridium experiments as a child which gave him 'special traits' and a burning hatred for Hyperion. But wait! Theres more! After waking up from a perticularly uncomfortable nightmare Mordecai finds a girl in his room. And she looks a hell of a lot like Bloodwing...
1. Chapter 1

**Borderlands FanFic YAY!**

**This is technically my first fanficy, although I have written another one (well a chapter anyway) on events in the first game with a slightly different version of Mordi. I may end up connecting the two, may not, we'll see.**

**I've tried to ****_'Moderate'_**** the swearing and stuff but there is only so much I can do without making the whole thing a pile of asterisk's. **

**I apologise in advance for any random switches in perspective. With the way I write sometimes it'll be in first person and sometimes Third e.t.c. e.t.c so bare with me folks :)**

**Disclaimer: Borderands and Borderlands 2 and all that Borderlandsy stuff belongs to 2K and whoever else made the games e.t.c, I dont own any of it. (If I did 'you know what' wouldnt have happened ¬_¬)**

**This is a fanfic on Borderlands because I have an undeniable love for Mordecai. There will be more to come... probably...I'm a slow writer. Don't hate me X_X**

**I've made several references to events in the game which some people will hopefully get and mixed in some new ones which the sherlocks out there will figure out. Anyhoo there will be a pairing or two in this but I wont point it out till it's blatantly obvious in the story. **

**Jeeeeez Mordecai is about 44 by the time of the 2 game. Ok so just to make this clear Mordi is a tad bit younger in my story... He's about 27. Infact just assume all of them are about that age. Why? Because I want to thats why.**

**Enjoy ~ 3 **

**Technically two chapters in one so yeaaaaaaaah...**

* * *

**Chapter 0: Establishing a backstory**

**Chapter 1: Cursed dreams**

Mordecai sat up slowly shaking his head, maybe all that Rakk ale last night was a mistake, granted finding the vault called for celebration "even if it was tentacle porno waiting to happen" Lilith had joked, the ale itself did have a rather satisfying taste though... Looking around he had expected to see his tiny, skag-hole of a room but there was nothing, nothing at all.

Was he still asleep? "Fan-f**k*ng-tastic" he grumbled standing up, brushing the non-existent dust off himself. Seconds later two graves appeared before him surrounded by a thick ghostly fog.

"All I see is blood" a distant voice proclaimed, it almost sounded like his own.

"What the f**k?" this was starting to get weird even for a dream.

Looking closer at them an unnerving feeling settled in his gut, the left grave had a box of 'munitions on it next to a rather impressive shotgun. It looked so familiar...but why? Who did it belong to? Mordecai decided not to think about it as he turn to the right grave... a feather and a ring... both covered in... blue blood?

Mordecai vision started to blur, the red tint of the goggles turning the world into crimson whirlpool. Only then did he realise he was crying, slowly removing the goggles he let out groan, blinking wildly as the world cleared. His solid purple eyes weren't use to the harsh glare of the sun, not since the eridium experiments anyway. While it enhanced his eyesight to see at a distance with perfect clarity and...other side effects...it had made him colour-blind, and extremely light-sensitive, that's what the red tinted goggles where for.

Wait...red? Since when could he see red? Oddly enough at this moment he could see everything, all the colours he had almost forgotten in the seventeen years without them. His moment of happiness didn't last long however as looking back at the goggles he almost screamed it wasn't water that had filled them; it was blood, his blood.

"They created a monster" the distant voice proclaimed.

The goggles slipped from his hands "SHUT UP!" he screamed.

Suddenly the world seemed to shift beneath his feet and within an instant Mordecai couldn't feel his body anymore, instead he saw before him a 10-year-old boy lying unconscious on a table with a small puddle of blood around his head, his tiny body connected to hundreds of tubes. Looking around the familiar blinding whiteness of the room made him shiver. He knew the boy was still alive, after all he was him.

A gruff male voice sounded out of nowhere and everywhere at once

"Take him back to his room" it said, as the boy was disconnected from the tubes, lifted by his arms and dragged out.

He remembered all of this...just one of the many 'experiments' Hyperion liked to do, in secret of course. Their justification for using orphaned children? "Ain't Nobody gun miss 'em". Mordecai often believed this was true, trapped in a torture centre with no parents left to miss him. Everything changed when he'd met his future best friend and partner.

"Bloodwing..." He mumbled.

The world shifted again, the scene had changed, he was the boy now. He was slumped with his back against cold, bare grey wall; he didn't need to feel it to know it was cold, after all it was HIS room...HIS cage. Opening his eyes a wash of grey toned light filled his view.

"Please...just let this end"

Huddling his knees, the boy sat staring at the floor, a chipped slab of a plate and cup with barely more than a swallow of water and a chunk of obviously stale bread in front of him.

_"Squawk"_ The sound came from the barred window above him. He ignored it.

_ "Squawk!"_ Again the sound came from above him.

Standing he looked through the window. A small bird sat there on the opposite side of the bars, they both looked at each other curiously.

_"Squawk!"_ Said the bird tilting its head at the boy it saw before it.

"Look if its food you want you might as well go somewhere else" the boy sighed "at least you can find decent food".

The bird stared at the boy _"Squawk!"_ Clearly it wasn't about to leave.

"Uh fine! I'm going to die here anyway whether it from starvation or blood loss" picking up the plate the boy placed it on the window, the bird let out a cheerful _"squawk!"_ before pecking away.

The boy sighed "at least your happy" almost naturally his hand went to stroke the bird's head, while at first the bird seemed surprised and cautious of him, it eventually relaxed under his touch.

"Maybe having a friend wouldn't be so bad" the boy laughed "now if only you could find me a key to get out of this hell-hole" the bird looked up to the boy tilting its head again as if contemplating something "what? What's with that look?" the boy said.

After a short silence the bird turned and few off.

"Oh great job Mordecai, you just lost your only friend" moving away from the window he sat, against the wall with sigh.

An hour had passed since the bird had left and in that time the boy had drifted to sleep still slumped against the wall, suddenly he was awoken by a loud _"CLUNK"_ shortly followed by a rather upbeat _"SQUARK!"_ Sitting up straight the boy was rather shocked to see the glint of the set of keys before him, next to which was a rather smug looking bird.

"Holy skag-s**t! You actually got the keys!" Scoping them up with his hand he stroked the bird with the other "you are one amazing bird!" Ruffling its feathers in delight the bird replied with a _"Squawk!"_ a rather large smirk had crossed the boys face now.

"I guess I'd better take you with me huh?" The bird responded with a cautious look but after a little encouraging through the means of stroking it flew up and sat balanced on the boy's shoulder. Walking to the door the boy cycled through the keys jamming each one into the lock and moving on to the next when it didn't produce the desired results. Finally after about seven tries (admittedly one of them being the same key twice) the door opened "YES!" after a quick peek through the door to make sure no one was around, the boy ran.

He hoped he could remember where the exit was, he'd seen it briefly after he'd been put through a session of target practice "shoot them before they shoot you" the 'instructors' would say, a sadistic version of dodge ball where they rounded up all the kids who had survived their experiment and forced them to fight each other. Barely making it out alive, the boy was dragged back to his 'room' to rest before the second 'phase' began, the guards hadn't even bothered to check if he was still unconscious, they passed a surprisingly small door with windows showing the dusty orange sky of the outside world. The boy knew this was the way out, his only way out.

After what seemed like endless running he slid to a stop at the end of a corridor. There was only one way he could go, one way he needed to go; only problem was the large man standing in front of the door, his door, his freedom. The large mans chuckled at the sight of the boy.

"Nowhere to run now, kiddo!" he said lifting his gun, aiming straight for the boy's head.

"Sh*t" closing his eyes and holding his breath the boy waited for his inevitable fate to take its course.

He didn't expect what happened next. **(Yes I like this phase shut up)**

He suddenly felt disoriented, like his body wasn't his own and yet he could still feel it simultaneously. He looked down to see... his shoulder...the one Bloodwing was on... he was...he was seeing everything she saw... What the f**k...

_"SQUAAAAARK!"_ the bird...he... they flew from his shoulder straight into the man's face, tearing it up with its claws. The man let out a horrific scream dropping his gun, which slid over to Mordecai's paralysed form. He felt him grab hold of the bird, tearing it away from his face; he started to crush it in his hands.

Mordecai went to scream but it came out from the bird as a fearful _"SQUARK!"_ as it struggled to get free.

He had to help blood...

With surprising ease he focused on his body and within an instant was back, looking down at his feet.

With an odd sense of calm the boy spotted the gun at his feet, a revolver. Quickly grabbing it he pointed it at the man and fired. The bullet went straight through the man's wrists causing him to release the bird and fall to the floor crying out in pain. The bird quickly flew back to the boy, who was walking towards the man.

The man made a vain attempt to stand but was pushed down by the boys foot, the man didn't understand it how could this boy have so much strength for someone so stick like? The man looked up at the boy now standing over him. Was he...was he smiling? The little freak was smiling! "Who the f**k are you!" He cried.

The boy replied "My name is Mordecai, this is Blood" the bird _squawked_ in approval

"And we..." _'Click'_

"...are free" _'Boom'_ the sound of the gun shot echoed through the halls, but by the time anyone came the pair were long gone.

The scene faded to white and Mordecai could feel his body again. He'd run out of curses by this point, could he wake up now please?

Eleven silhouettes appeared before him five he had never seen but he (although he didn't know why) knew their names... three were his companions and friends, there was even himself, but who was the Eleventh? She was the one standing next to him, holding his shadows hand.

Before he could think his shadow spoke "Protect the things you love" the shadow paused to look at the unknown figure "Not everything is set in stone".

Then Mordecai fell, fell back into the blackness that had now enveloped his sight. _**"Awaken".**_

His eyes shot open, there before him was his room right as it should be. Was he finally awake? Was that nightmare finally over? He ran a hand over his eyes. No blood. He really was awake! Breathing a sigh of relief Mordecai went to stand. He didn't expect to see a girl standing there. She was completely naked apart from the feathers that seemed to spread from her back to wrap around her hips and shoulders. Her brownish hair was almost touching the floor, and her red bird like eyes staring intensely at him.

"MORDY YOUR AWAKE!" Her expression was one of pure happiness.

"WHAT THE F**K!" Mordecai screamed.


	2. Chapter 2: Painkillers

_Chapter 2: Painkillers_

_"WHAT THE FUCK!" Mordecai screamed._

There came a rapping at the door.  
I slammed my hands over my mouth had I really been that loud?  
"Mordi you alright?" Came a voice from the corridor. Sounded like Lilith.  
I didn't have the words to speak right now, too many things to deal with at once.  
"Mordi if you don't answer I'm coming in!"  
Oh shit... "I'm fine!" I scrambled up grabbing my goggles _-don't think about it, don't think about it-_ and pulling them over my eyes. Opening the door enough to slip my head through but obscure the rest of the room.  
"See perfectly fine" I gave her a tired grin "Just a ...bad dream is all"  
She gave me a sceptical look before her eyes wandered down and replaced that scepticism with a grin of her own.  
"Been a while since I saw that, this close"  
I slammed the door and hid behind it, you remember your goggles but not your pants. Good job me.  
"Go away Lil"  
"Okay but you don't know what you're missing" she laughed "meeting in the map room in an hour. Don't be late, AGAIN!" and she walked away.  
I slid down the door and ran a hand through my naturally messy hair. If I close my eyes tight enough maybe the images will go away..._while I appreciate the effort brain, pictures of Lilith are NOT what I wanted._  
I felt a weight on my shoulder and a familiar humming noise to accompany it. The same melody that Blood used to do to calm me down.  
"Hey Blood" I mumbled to no one in particular  
the humming stopped  
"Yes Mordi?"  
"Have I finally lost it?"  
"Probably"  
I turned and there she was, that girl, resting her head on my shoulder.  
Took me about 10 seconds of staring for it to register in my brain.  
I blinked and backwards crabbed my way across the floor.  
"...who?"  
Her excited expression finally dropped.  
"Don't you recognise me Mordi?"  
Of course I knew who it was; you don't tend to forget someone you've spent every day with for 17 years. But that was the problem, because  
"I distinctly remember a certain someone being a bird yesterday."  
"Oh right that... I had some time to think while you were asleep. I think it has something to do with the vault we opened a couple years ago" she flexed her fingers in front of her face with a rather cute curiosity.  
At this point I had stopped freaking out enough to find myself some trousers and sat cross-legged across from...Bloodwing.  
"Could it have been the eridium? Lilith did seem a bit different after that...but that was years ago. So why now?"  
The girl...blood...gods this is weird... _SHE_ gave a small smile.  
"No idea. If it can do what it did to you then...it might affect me too...?"

"..."

"Sore topic?"  
I nod. Short flashes of that year run through my head, you'd think I'd be over it by now...that dream certainly didn't help.  
"You need a new name"  
"What?"  
"A new name. It might be weird calling you blood now you look like...this" I gesture to her new humanoid form.  
"Oh...hmmm" she's surprisingly cute when she pulls that 'thinking' face. "How aboooout...Robin! You used to love them when we were back home."  
"Sticking with the bird names are we?"  
She pouted "you got a problem with that?"  
I couldn't help but laugh.  
"No, you're right actually, I quite like it"  
"I guess that's that then"  
"Hm, now we just need to figure out what to tell the others"  
I stood and offered her a hand  
"Am I gonna have to teach the lady to walk?"  
She took my hand stuck her tongue out. "Shush you"

After a short session on basic movement skills and adorning more acceptable attire on both our parts (_I still have some of lilIths 'old' clothes in a pile in the corner probably should give them back sometime, except that jumper. The far-too-long sleeves increase Robin's adorability_) we stared at the door exiting the room.  
"Robin... Wait outside the room till I mention you to come in. I'd rather have them in a good mood before I try to explain this and something goes wrong."  
"I'm sure you'll be fine Mordi" she hugged me tightly, for a vicious killer my girl is very huggy, and we walked out of my room. Heading downstairs to HQ I left Robin itching at the new clothes by the door.  
"So the drunkard finally decides to join us" Lilith said as I walked in.  
"Amiga you know you're just as hung-over as me, which is a feat considering I'm always hung-over"  
"Would you two shut it for a minute? We need to discuss something" Roland said.  
I rolled my eyes "Yes boss"  
I leant against the wall near the door, taking in the map room.  
It's been the most part of 5 years since we opened the vault and we all have our separate missions now, but we still get together at HQ for our 'valter-versary'. Cheesy I know but on this blasted planet it's nice to celebrate something once in a while. This 'after meeting' was designed for reporting our progress over the past year or so but usually consisted of a speech by Roland and the rest of us swapping dumb stories, so the seriousness of Roland's tone kinda worried me... and I still feel ill from that dream.  
"Mordecai? You in there?"  
"Huh?" I blinked to Roland waving his hand in front of my face  
"Oh good your still awake" he grinned and walked to his spot around the table, near Brick who stood intimidatingly by the balcony.  
"Yeah sorry... Kinda distracted right now"  
"Mhm...well as I was saying Jacks been getting more ambitious in finding this supposed _'second vault'_ and I have reason to believe he's sent a call out for '_new vault hunters_'. So far none have arrived on Pandora, but it's only a matter of time." He sighed "Personally I don't fancy getting our ass's stomped by giant robots again and seeing as we have no information other than this, all we can do is wait for them to come. Anyway on to other matters, report time!" He sounded a lot more relaxed when he said that. That makes me all the more nervous.  
"Crimson raider numbers have increased since last time _blah blah-blah-blah..."_  
_BORING. Next please._  
"Lilith"  
"Bandits and psycho-cultists still setting fire to each other"  
"Right. Brick?"  
"No problem with my Slabs. Rick got stuck in a fridge so we kicked it around. Fun times."  
"Invite me next time huh?"  
Brick grinned. This is _terrifying_ on a guy his size.  
I swear time must have slowed or something when Roland turned to me, I could chalk it up to the drinks last night but the pit in my stomach tells me I'm freaking out. I put the back of my head against the wall and I could hear Robins soft humming again. I couldn't help a small smile, _its gunna be fine Mordi._  
"Mordecai? Man stop zoning out on us"  
"Oh right sorry. My turn right?"  
"Yeeeees"  
I looked to the doorway before turning back to face them.  
"Nothing much going on at the Tundra and all the info I have I send to you anyway. But...I err...how do I say this... have some other news...don't freak out okay?"  
Roland looked concerned.  
"Does this have to do with your zoning out?"  
"Kinda...I guess it's related, although this is a lot more erm physical..."  
Lilith gave a confused smirk "what?"  
"NOT LIKE-_Lilith why are you always_-_just_-UGH let's just get this over with" I sighed. "Robin...can you come in please."  
And with that she peeked round the door frame, with questioning, mildly terrified eyes  
"Blood, please" I whisper  
She walked in, bee lining straight to hide behind me hugging my arm. Damn it she's too cute.  
I gently reposition her in front of me and ruffle her hair.  
Finally daring a look at my co-workers I receive a mix of bewilderment and flat out confusion.  
"Well at least you're not freaking out. That's good. Um okay... Guys this is Robin..."  
Maybe I should clarify something. For almost all of the time I've known these guys, Brick had been the closest to Blood. Makes sense, after all he used to have a Dog. Anyway it didn't particularly surprise me when she ran over to him (_slightly stumbling over her own feet on the way_) and hugged him.  
"I've always wanted to hug you Bricky! Wow you're like a big muscle-y bear! HUGGING IS SO FUN!"  
"Robin" I said a bit more sternly than I'd meant to "Hugging the confused people with the guns and the muscles without warning is not a good idea!"  
Drooping her head she turned to face me  
"But Mooooordiiiiiii"  
Before she could finish whatever she would have said Bricks arms had closed around her in a bear hug of his own. His usually deep and aggressive tone was suddenly calm, almost...happy?  
"This is certainly an unexpected new trick little bird" he's a rather accepting guy under the blood fueled rage.  
"...Bloodwing is a GIRL?" Roland rather rudely interrupted this weirdly beautiful moment.  
"THAT'S what you choose to freak out about? Really Ro. Yes, she's always been a girl, but this uh... new form is recent, we don't really know why"  
Lilith who had been remarkably quiet until now spoke.  
"Is it Eridium related?"  
Robin peeked over Bricks massive arms.  
"I considered it, but this should have happened sooner if it was with all the radi-"  
"ROBIN"  
"-er...er... Radical powers Lilith got from it..." She stammered retreating back into the safety of the meat shield.  
Lilith turned and gave me one of the most stomach turning looks since I broke up with her.  
"While that may be true, that is clearly not what Robin here was going to say. So." She turned back to Robin.  
"Care to retry that sentence killer?"  
"...With all the radiation coming off me" Fuck, I hate being sober.  
Wide eyes across the room all point at me. "What?"  
"Mordi..." Robin whispers  
"It's fine Blood" I sigh. "I suppose it's better to get it out there. To be honest I'm surprised no one found out till now"  
Roland voiced his concern. "Wait. What radiation?"  
Robin swaps her human meat shield in favour of my trembling hand.  
"Mordi, don't. You'll just make yourself sick from the light"  
"I'll deal with it. Always have" With closed eyes I tear off my goggles and let out a shaky laugh. "Took you seventeen years to take these off in public and you can't even do it with a tad bit of confidence"  
I will my eyes to open and they do. The glowing purple absorbs the scene with crystal cut detail. Jeez it really is bright in here.

"That radiation"

"Holy shit" Lilith stares

"It's not that much actual radiation but still, there's probably enough of it to do something"

"How is that even possible? I thought only sirens had ties to Eridium. Don't start telling me you used to be a chick." Roland's ever insensitive personality strikes again.

"Oh god no. Absolutely positively NO." Now that really would be weird.

"Then you're not a '_secret_' Siren?"

"It's not something easily hide-able Roland" Lilith shares her expertise on the matter.

"Then how?"

I look at the floor watching as the dust shifts between the tiny grooves in the floor.

"Ever seen an orphanage on Artemis?"

"Didn't think there were any"

"There aren't. Still get orphaned kids though. The lucky ones get to live with friends. Most of us though, get picked up by weapons companies like Hyperion. Taken to their 'facilities' for...for..."

Robin tightly grips my hand

"Human testing. They pump them full of chemicals and make them fight each other to see what happens. It's...brutal" she looks me in the eyes "But we got you out alive, Mordi. That's all that matters"

The air in the room suddenly felt stuffy.

"I need a drink" pulling on the goggles and plunging the world back into the dark grey I'm so very used to, I slipped away from the crowd seeking the mind numbing properties of the ale and the solace of my thoughts, only vaguely aware of the girl quickly running after me.

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**Hey guys! Sorry this took so long to write but I kept coming up with blanks half way through writing.**

**Anyway, the personalities of each character may not be exactly like they are in game but they're how I would view them.**

**Roland: The somewhat oblivious but loveable leader. (Totally like my Canadian friend. Yes Axel, its you)**

**Lilith: The kind hearted sexual flirt she is.**

**Mordecai: Randomly zones out, especially when bored. Nervous and easily frustrated, but doesn't like showing it (which ends up making him more frustrated) in many ways Mordecai is probably how I would react to all of this if I was in his shoes.**

**Robin/Bloodwing: Child-like curiousity and cuteness. Fearce protector of the one she cares most about.**

**And Brick: The silently intimidating meat mountain. Heart of gold, fists of pain.**

**x_x **

**Feel free to leave a review, telling me what I could improve on e.t.c.**

**Oh and that reminds me - To that one reviewer who asked if the other vault hunters will be in this. **

**Yes. I plan to include the 'second generation' vault hunters. Especially Zero, I have plans for our mysterious ninja friend.**

**Hugs for all! ~ wuv BlueRavenKnight**


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